Preparing for Long Distance Rides

They say a good rule of thumb when working up to a long distance ride, is to ride in a week the number of miles you plan to do in a day. This morning I looked at my wall calendar (which now resembles a numerology chart) and realised that I've ridden around 200 miles over the past week, Saturday to Friday, distributed over the seven days as 16-60-0-0-24-40-60.




Today I feel all right. A little beat up, but no more than usual. Still, I am not convinced that doing this milage over the course of multiple days means that I can ride even 100 miles in one go. After a 60 mile day I am depleted to the point that in the end I cannot imagine being in the saddle a second longer.




And I take too many breaks. For instance, yesterday's milage was divided into: 8 easy miles alone/ break/ 20 hilly miles with a fast partner/ lunch break/ 24 hilly miles with a fast partner/ break/ 8 easy miles alone. Is it even fair to call that a 60 mile ride? The longest I've done so far in a group without breaks has been a measly 35 miles.




I don't like the idea of "training," and prefer to think of these rides as preparation. I never want to get to the point where I hate being on the bike and have to force myself to ride. What I like about the past week is that I've managed to not only put in 200 miles, but to feel good about it. What I don't like, is the limit I am sensing: After 60 miles I just don't feel that those remaining 40 are in me.




How do you prepare for long distance rides? Is it normal to feel a daily milage ceiling past which you can't seem to advance?

A Little Bit of Sunshine

From snow on Monday and temperatures in the 30s, to glorious sunshine and 60s today! Wow, I am soooo ready for warmer weather.

Rocks in their hearts

Dave's post Sunday included a video in which a woman spoke of some fused trees, saying, "even the babies have rocks in their... parts".

I originally thought she'd said, "rocks in their hearts"...



... which I actually like better.

It reminded me of these photos my husband took not long ago.



I wonder what the other trees make of this.



Do they whisper behind his back?

I'd love him better if he didn't have rocks in his heart.

La Sportiva Lo5 ski review

Dave on the Low5in the cold smoke of the Brevent. photo courtesy of Ross Hewitt




“I didn’t know La Sportiva made Ski’s, how are they?”



Seems to be something that I get asked a lot when I take MY Lo5’s out in Chamonix.



Up until last year I didn’t know they made ski’s either. Everyone knows them for their boots and we’ve all seen the ridiculously light Ski Boots sat in the shops looking very racey. But Ski’s? In an already vast market of ski’s you need to find a good neash and do it well to get anywhere and I’m happy to say that quality wise they are very good.









Let me first describe my skiing and what I look for. I live in Chamonix which is of course a haven for steep and technical descents which are primarily human powered with the exception of the ‘big pheriques’. Therefore there are two different days that I usually have in Cham. If there is fresh then the norm is to lap the Midi or the Grande Montet until I can’t stand. These days require big ski’s, stiff boots and a powerful approach to skiing. We don’t get that many days like that unfortunately. This brings me on to the other type of skiing we have where you head out with a bag full of what you think might be useful i.e ropes, poons, axe(s) skins and you head to either a pre-planned objective or and area where you think it might be good… For days like this you need a predictable, stable ski with good edge grip and enough float to get you through the 3 day old pow. They need to be stiff enough to plow the crud and crust and light enough that you can rinse out 1200m+ of vert and still have enough in you to ski back to town. Finding a Ski which does it all is tough I agree so compromise needs to be made however I think I might of found my perfect partner with the Lo5’s for days like these…..



http://davesearle.me//01/25/y-couloir-aiguille-dargentiere-one-of-those-days/



http://davesearle.me//01/27/s-couloir-aiguille-de-leboulement-d%C2%B2/



Most of the people I ski with will run a 100m waisted ski as their touring ski. We all like to enjoy the down with big turns and airs and we don’t have time for mincy skiing on floppy Rando planks. We want to go deep into the massif in a day and ski out fast so we can get back to our homes to re-hydrate, refuel and plan for the next day.









This past week in Cham I have exclusively skied on the La Sportiva Lo5 to give them a proper test. I was skiing for 4 days around work and here’s what I did.









Day 1: Two laps of the Aiguille du midi via the Valley Blanche/Envers du plan. Deep, fresh powder and an icey, Bumpy track back to town. A good day- Perhaps better to have been on a bigger pow ski but still the Lo5’s put a smile on my face and gave me a good day out for sure. They handled the bumps very well and kept me on the straight and narrow (track).



Day 2: Y Couloir on the Aiguille d’Argentiere. Steep (up to 50 degrees) decent in perfect cold snow. 1200m up and 2650m down in a day up to 3900m. I felt super confortable and secure on the Lo5’s putting in jump turns in the steep and narrow couloir and they felt light on my back during the hike up. Skiing the Grande Montet homerun (red run) in the failing/flat light was a breeze. They handled very well on the piste with good carve ability.



Day 3: Col hopping in the Aiguille Rouge. We wanted to ski a steep north facing couloir but ended up skiing a sloppy south face with variable snow and some fun drops to get through the rock bands. The ski’s handled all the messy snow well. They delt with the cunderballs, debris, powder, semi corn and icey track in equal measures and again I appreciated the low weight as we spent most of the day going up.



Day 4: South Couloir of the Aiguille De l’Eboulement. 1500m of vert in a day and 2250m down in variable snow, which was mostly breakable crust. Tricky skiing for sure and not really that pleasant. Only a massive reverse camber ski would have been fun on the way down. I still felt glad to have the Lo5’s on my feet as they were predictable to turn on the steeps and the early tip rise helped no end in the crust.



All in all a pretty full on week in Cham. All kinds of snow experienced and I’m still loving the Lo5’s as my touring ski. As a light and reliable SKIMO tool these pretty much hit the nail on the head and would be a good companion to any Climber or Ski Mountaineers/ Tourer who needs a reliable and predictable yet fun ski to rip the resort, pow, steeps and bumps with ease.



Other info:

I mounted My Plum Guides 1cm forward from the line with quiver killer inserts. I have the 178 and my set up is exactly 4Kg in total.











editors note:



Dave and my buddy Jerry, a ski patroler in Montana, have been ripping and raving on theLo5s this season.



Jerry's comments on the Lo5.



Dane -

Snow here has been so thin I have only skied them once (but am going for three days starting saturday). I took them up to Bridger on a day with 6-8 inches of very cold powder (@0-10F) and a firm base. Skied bumps, pow, chop, nd a few rocks. Was skiing with a former US Team member and his son so we were mostly hauling ass.



I didn't know when I ordered these that they were the same dimensions as my 165 Kilowatts (the sportivas are 178) so I have a good comparison although the BDs are around five years old. Both have dynafits mounted.



My first impression is that I now get it when they say the early rise skis seem short. These feel about the same as the BDs - not a bad thing except for steep bumps where a longer ski would be better. That sounds counterintuitive but this ski in a 188 would really smooth out the foreandaft. Even with a more traditional boot (I was skiing the green dynafit),youjust can't get that tip to do much. Opposite on the powder and chop where they require no effort. They are more fun than my Fischer Wateas at 114 atthe waist. More control and feel. No issues on the packed and I couldcarvepretty easy with an upright over the feet stance (I ski a lot like Pierceand Arnold - not as well but standing pretty upright).



As a one quiver ski I think they would be fine if you kept them out of thefirm bumps (did I mention these were really firm bumps). Since I have nointerest in skiing that sort of terrain I would ski them every day at BS. Would like to try the 188s. I patrol on a big Dynastar Legend at 188and really enjoy them and think the Low 5 in that length would be stellarespecially at about a third the weight. I think the sidecut is the newstandard for an all round ski and have no problem keeping an edge in firm spring snow.



I've never skied the DPS so can't say how them compare but based on talkingwith those that own them they either come with a lifetime supply ofcocaineor are some of the best skiing boards out there. (DB sez: Its true, the DPS do ski well ;-) For me and how and whereIlike to ski the Lo5 is going to be fine. I spend more and more time in the BC taking tours and skiing open faces and tight chutes. This ski is goingtoreplace my BDs, save weight, and give more float skinning and skiing -what's not to like?

J.



Here in the PNW, on Cascade Cement much of the time I have been using the Hi5 for the last two seasons going on three now. I still haven't found anything to replace them and I have a a few more pairs of skis now. So it isn't without trying. More on the Hi5 here:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//10/la-sportiva-hi5-rock.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//06/la-sportiva-hi5-skis.html

Goathead Weed

This is another of the horrid weeds we have here in the desert. I have no idea of any other name for it besides Goathead which really makes people that don't know what it is wonder until they experience the terrible thing. It doesn't look that bad. Doesn't seem to cause allergies. Has a cute little yellow blossom. Grows in a circle that some people, at first, think is a nice growncover as it will grow with no water what so ever. Until you find the seeds which give it it's name, Goathead. The seed are round with two 'horns' that want to break of into the food or hand of what ever encounters it. And it HURTS. Boy does it hurt. I have known of several people who have had to have the 'horn' off of one of these seed surgically removed after it has become infected. One man I know of almost had to have his foot amputated. I was unable to find a seed to take a photo of as I try to keep them all picked up and all plants pulled. They are easy to pull and will die when it freezes, but leaves the seeds to sprout next spring. And each and every seed will sprout. I fight them constantly. Each seed is sent to the trashcan and each plant without a seed is pulled and turned with the root up to die. Several of my neighbors fight them but a lot of people don't fight them and they will stick to anything and make their way back to mine or your yard. They love to hitchhike of car and truck tires and on the rubber soles of shoes, as well as bike tires. They are death to bicycle tires. If you ride a bicycle in the desert you are sure to go buy the special tubes that can't be punchered by the 'goathead seeds'. And of course dogs and cats hate them as well as those of us that try to get rid of them. Again this weed is not native to the desert but I don't know where it did come from

Tiny Purple Wild Flower

I see this tiny purple wild flower out in the desert but don't know it's name, either. The flowers are only about a half inch in size, and the leaves are smaller and kind of gray green in color. The plant looks like a bush and usually only about 6 to 10 inches tall and about the same wide.

iPad Envy

Thursday evening, footnoteMaven was flaunting her tech toys: Droid phone, iPod video camera, and her iPad – I want one of those! I really, really want one!

Steve has one too. So does Dick. I want one... (photo courtesy of Cheryl Palmer)

I spent half an hour writing a query for Dick's GenQueries project in the hopes that I might win the iPad he was giving away. But alas, that didn't happen. Looks like I'll have to go out and buy one.

The iGene Awards for Kinexxions

It's time for the Annual iGene Awards in which we announce our “best” blog posts from last year in five categories. Created by Jasia at Creative Gene for the Carnival of Genealogy, this year marks the 5th anniversary of the awards.



And this year, the ceremony for kinexxions is coming to you from Salt Lake City! What better place for such an event? And now, the winners...



Best Picture: Going through my Mother's papers after her death last February, I discovered a photograph that I had never seen before. In Mom :: Before she was Mom I presented that photo and several a lot of others. Is this my Mom?





Best Screen Play: The post Joslin Rendezvous :: The Homestead discusses a few of the trials and tribulations encountered by Virgil Joslin when he homesteaded in South Dakota in the early 1900s. Additional material written by his son Irwin would be used to create a feature-length movie that would star Sam Elliott and Meryl Streep as Virgil and Mary Joslin.



Best Documentary (investigative research): This past summer I decided to take on my Switzer family in Columbiana County, Ohio and found that there were Not One, Not Two, Not Three, but Four of Them! with “them” being men named Jacob Switzer. One of them was my ancestor, but which one? Yes, this is one of a series of posts, all of which are listed here.



Best Biography: The rules are going to be stretched a little in that two series of posts are being selected, neither were actually “written” by me. The Life of Hazlette Brubaker presents the story of my Grandmother's life, as told in her own words, in a series of 15 articles.



The Berlin Family :: John D. and Susannah is the first in a series of articles that includes family Bible Records as well as 35 letters written between 1861-1895 between family members. (Links to those documents are included at the bottom of the selected post.)



Best Comedy: Humorous writing is not really my forte (I've often been told that I have a very dry sense of humor, almost humorless.) At any rate, I've selected One Half of an Old Mare called Van Dora for this category. Maybe you “had to be there” but finding Van Dora in the inventory of the estate of William B. Jones had Carol and me cracking up for several days.



And that brings to a close the iGene Award Ceremony for ..... hmm, well, not just yet. Since I've been doing a bit of traveling I thought I'd modify the categories in several areas and present a “travel” version also...





Best Picture: Nature's Trifecta



Best Screen Play time with Geneabloggers: Ah... Anastasia and St. Augustine



Best Documentary: It Sounded Too Good to Pass By



Best Biography Unique Event: Badlands :: Where the Buffalo Do Roam



Best Comedy: A Great Big Ball of Twine

Written for the 114th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

Assateague Island :: The Wild Ponies

For many people, the only reason for going to Assateague Island is to see the Wild Ponies. If so, it could be a little disappointing for them, especially if they only spend a few hours on the island. A 20-minute video shown at the visitor center provides a good, if somewhat romanticized view, of the little ponies that have roamed the beaches, pine forest, and salt marsh of Assateague Island since the 1600s. There are two theories regarding the stout little ponies: one is that they arrived on Assateague's shores when a Spanish galleon ship, with a cargo of horses, sank offshore. The other is that they are remnants of the herds of early colonial settlers who grazed their horses on the Island. Apparently a Spanish ship wreck was discovered recently in the waters off Assateague which gives credence to the first theory.

Both the Maryland and Virginia sides of Assateague Island have wild ponies; each has a herd of about 160 and a fence at the state line keeps the two herds separated. They roam the island in bands of 5-10 ponies so you aren't going to see a lot of them all at once. I did see a group of 10 or so one day sauntering through the main parking lot on the beach side of the island. They were there long enough to stop traffic, then moved on down the road.

Although there are 30+ miles of beautiful white-sand beach, the part that is easily accessible to visitors is only about 5 miles long. Undoubtedly, the ponies roam the beaches too but I never saw any on the beach though they were grazing along the road on the beach side of the Island. I did see quite a few ponies on the bayside - in the marsh areas and in the campgrounds. My suspicion is that there were one or two bands of ponies that roamed those areas and I kept seeing the same horses over and over ;-)

These guys followed me around for quite awhile one day. I'd back off and they'd keep coming. Eventually they tired of the game and went off looking for better pastures.

The grass must have been pretty good alongside the marsh boardwalk. On this day there was a group of six of them. Three were on the boardwalk and the other three were off in the marsh. The ponies aren't very big. Short and stout is an apt description. In the background there is a woman standing next to two ponies, she towers over them. The tallest ones that I saw were maybe 5 feet tall.


There are signs posted stating that you are not to feed, touch, or even approach the horses. I never saw anyone feed them but did see a few people touching and petting them. I didn't go searching for the ponies. If they were in the same area where I was I'd go see them but I really didn't get too close. They are considered to be wild animals but they are definitely not afraid of humans. The ponies are left on their own, to fend for themselves. They are not cared for or treated if they become sick. The only food they get is what they find for themselves: marsh and sand dune grasses, rosehips, bayberry twigs, persimmons and even poison ivy.

Comfortable sleeping positions

Cats have funny ideas about comfortable sleeping positions. Trouble is, I always wake them up, trying to take pictures.

I haven't managed to photograph my favorite yet. Sometimes I'll glance over towards the chair, and just see a paw (or two, or four) sticking straight up in the air.

Then I usually wake them up by laughing too loudly, before I can even get the camera.

-----

Submitted to the Friday Ark.

Skeffington - Billesdon - Tilton - Skeffington

Monday 13 June . With Barry and Eddie. 8 miles. 3 hours and a bit. Fine weather after unpromising start. Mud on boots weather after yesterday's rain. Humid. Undulating.

Wildlife - several hares. A yellowhammer.

This hare came towards us on the path, then scarpered. I took this with normal lens, and then enlarged, so I am amazed you can make out the hare.

One for pedants' corner. What's with the wedding obsession? Second notice I've seen in in four days.

What bushes are these? We didn't walk near enough to find out.

Another over-enlarged picture - you can just about make out the yellowhammer.

(to be completed)

For map and details click this link

Maple Aurora

I have been suffering from Aurora withdrawals again lately, since our last good showing of Northern Lights was over 2 months ago. What can I say? The last year and a half of good solar activity has me spoiled and I want more :-) This one was taken on October 25, along one of the Maple ridges in Grand Portage, MN. It is a favorite spot of mine to photograph the fall colors, but is also a wonderful spot to photograph the trees silhouetted against the night sky once the leaves have fallen.

Georgia On My Mind...

Among the gems found last week while going through this box was a birthday card that was made by my niece Carrie when she was 9 or 10 years old (about 25 years ago).

Notice that she wouldn't give me all of her gold, just 3/4 of it. LOL.
No, it's not my birthday. So why am I posting this now and what does it have to do with Georgia, you ask?

Well, it just so happens that Carrie has lived in Georgia for nearly 21 years now. And in a few hours I'll be heading south along with my mother, Carrie's sister Tami, and Tami's son Zach for a few days. It's been a little more than five years since we last saw Carrie and her three daughters. The youngest was 2 ½ years old at the time and wouldn't have anything to do with me. The only time I got a decent picture of her smiling was when she was sitting on Mom's lap! Well, it should be a fun and interesting trip, if we survive the traffic, and each other ;-)

The classic Georgia On My Mind as performed by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. The song was written in 1930 (or 1931) by Native Hoosiers Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Stuart Gorrell (lyrics).

Patience pays off!

Patience pays off! During another 4 hours of Loon watching today, we got to see the eggs being turned by the parent mid-afternoon, and this time she was facing us so we could actually see what was going on :-) Still no babies, though... stay tuned!

No More Tears: Clear Glasses for Winter

One of my biggest problems cycling in the winter used to be my eyes tearing up. It would get so bad, that the constant flow of tears would blur my vision, making it hard to see where I was going. But like many cyclists, I soon found the solution: clear glasses or goggles.




On moderately cold and windy days, I wear simple resin glasses that I am very happy with. They are unbranded, so I don't have an online source to refer you to, but many bike shops around here sell them at the counter. I bought mine from the Wheelworks, for around $20. What I like about these particular glasses is how comfortable they are, even on long rides. They sit sturdy, but are lightweight and don't press into my face or temples. The lenses are durable and the clarity is good.




On particularly freezing days with harsh winds, I wear these wrap-around safety glasses from MSA. They cost only $4 and perform double duty as shop safety glasses for framebuilding. The MSA glasses are wonderful for creating a seal from the cold, keeping my eyes warm and dry and the sensitive skin around them protected. An additional benefit for those who wear prescription glasses, is that these can be worn over them. The downside is that they are on the heavy side, and if I wear them for too long they give me a headache - so watch out, if you have issues with that. But for short rides they are excellent, and on days that are cold enough to necessitate them my rides are on the short side anyway.




If you prefer the high-end route, I've tried and really liked the clear version of the new Lazer Argon glasses. These are in the $80-90 range and come with interchangeable lenses, which can be replaced with tinted ones. Oakley, Rudy Project, and most other athletic sunglass manufacturers also make clear or photochromic versions of many models.




While some cyclists like to wear goggles, I am not a fan: They snag my hair and don't seem to stay put as well as regular glasses if I wear them on the bike. I find that the MSA safety glasses provide the same coverage but with less fuss.




There are many inexpensive options out there for clear goggles and glasses, so try a few and see what works. And if you need more coverage? Well, a few days ago I saw a man cycling with a clear face shield. Perhaps a new fashion trend in winter cycling.

Clear Above, Films Below

Wednesday Morning on the Ingraham

The past couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous on the upper mountain. The sun has been out, winds have been calm and fresh snow covers almost everything. There have been a few climbers who were undeterred by the mediocre forecasts,and three hardy souls braved postholing andgusty windsabove 13,000'to summit via the DC earlier today. Even the climbers who did not make the summit have found some fun making fresh turns on their skis and boards, practicing rescue and ice climbing skills in crevasses, or soaking in the views of volcanotops poking through the clouds.




There is a forecasted low pressure system moving through the Northwest over the next day or two, so some inclement and unpredictable weatheris expected on the upper mountain, but this systemseems to haveenough similarity to the last one where climbers can alsoreasonably expect periods of nice weather to be found on the upper mountain over the coming days. The only way to know what is happening is to come see for yourself. Check out recent conditions updates for more specific information on climbing routes.



Also in other news check out the Rainier Independent Film Festival going on this weekend at variouslocations around the base of Mt. Rainier. It looks like they have some great films selected and the venues(which include a Cine-Yurt!)are as varied as the films being screened.

Wordless Wednesday :: Sunrise

Sunday morning, November 15th.
Lenoir, North Carolina.
About 30 miles east of the Blue Ridge Parkway.